PICKERING Running Club's Simon Jones’ winning streak continued as he claimed victory at the Hardmoors ‘Chop Gate Chiller’ night race.

Starting in the pitch black at the village hall, runners headed over Cold Moor, Cringle Moor, Lord Stones and Carlton Bank before returning to Chop Yat, near Stokesley.

Setting a furious pace, Jones used his strength on the ascent to build an early lead – with only his head torch to guide the way along the tough 10-mile route.

But his tenacity paid off, clocking him a time of one hour 22 minutes 43 seconds.

Club-mate Bob Horsman also did well, taking fourth place in 1-32-20.

Following a period of recuperation after injury, Marion Bets made a fantastic comeback at the Wistow 10k near Selby.

Keen to return to her 65-minute form, Bets made a confident start on the flat and fast Tarmac course.

Crossing the line in 1-04-37, the 51-year-old was delighted to beat York club rival Ian Codling.

Meanwhile, Sue Slack returned to her roots after making a trip to her home territory of Portsmouth for the Great South Run.

This year was the 25th anniversary of the 10-mile race, which runs past the historic naval yard and iconic shipping vessels including the Mary Rose and HMS Victory.

Among the 25,000 runners taking part was Pickering’s Slack and her brother, Terry, making his running race debut.

But the crowds failed to slow a determined Slack and she finished in 1-29-01 ahead of her elder sibling (2-06-15).

She said: “It was an amazing atmosphere and it was great to run past the historic dockyard and local landmarks. The final two miles were heading into the prevailing wind but it was not as bad as I feared.

“It was a great event - but you can’t beat the hills and trails of the North York Moors.